The Amendment of Life, Book 3 · Chapter 5
Of the dutie of children to their parents. Chap. 5.
NOw let vsus come to the duties of children to their parents. And theſe doth God comprehend in the fifth commaundement of the lawe, in theſe words: Honor thy father and thy mother. And this commaundement is the more to bee noted, becauſe it is often repeated in the holy Scripture. Now by this word Honor, is ſignified the louelove, reuerence, dutie, obedience, ſubiection, entertainment, and neceſſarie aſsiſtance that children owe to their parents. As concerning the louelove, the ſummarie of the ſecond Table comprehended in theſe wordes: Thou ſhalt louelove thy neighbour as thy ſelfe, doe manifeſtly confirme it. For who can bee a neerer neighbour for the children to louelove, then the parents? Beſides that, they are not to be loued onelyonly as neighbours proceeding of Adam and Eue, but alſo as fathers and mothers. And therefore what an ingratitude is it, not to louelove thoſe of whom, next after God, they hauehave their life and being together with many great and continuall benefites toward them. Alſo the louelove that parents doe beare to their children, beſides ſo many their labours, ſorrowes, troubles and vexations, ſhould binde them reciprocally to louelove them. The ſunne ſhining a while vponupon the colde ſtones, doth ſo heate them that they yeelde ſome warmth: ſo albeit that children be as hard and colde as ſtones, yet the experience, and the dayly feeling of the louelove of their parents towards them, ought mightily to enflame their hartes to louelove them againe. Take away the beame from the ſunne, ſaid a good old father, and it wil not ſhine: the ſprings from the riuer and it will drie vp: the bough from the tree, and it will wither: the member from the body & it will rot: And ſo take from children their dutie to their parents, and they are no longer children, but brethren and companions with thoſe vntounto whom Ieſus Chriſt ſaid. Yee are the children of the Deuill.
Plut. in his Agotheg. of the Grecians.2 This louelove ought eſpecially to appeare in a certain care, affection and deſire to reioyce and content our parents. For as we reade to this purpoſe, & Epaminondas ſaid, that of all the good and felicitie that euer happened him, he neuer ſo much delighted in any, as in his victorie ouer the Lacedemonians at Leuctria, where he wonne the fielde, while his father and mother yet liued. Such was his louelove to them, that his ſingular contentation conſiſted in the pleaſure that they would conceiue in the victorie of their ſonne. And that this his contentment conſiſted onelyonly in his louelove to his parents and not in couetize of vaine-glorie, we may gather by his commendations publiſhed by Iuſtin, who ſaith,Iuſtin. lib. 6. that it was a hard choiſe to diſcerne whether hee were an honeſter man or a better Captaine: That in the exerciſe of any publike office, hee neuer ſought himſelfe, but the good of his countrie: That he was not couetous either of glorie or of money. Theſe are notable commendations in a heathen Captaine: God graunt that Chriſtians may follow him and deſerue the like. His example doth declare that children ought ſo to louelove their parents, that their affection may tend to liue vertuouſly, euen to reioyce them: and to eſchue euill, leaſt they ſhould grieue them.Prou. 10.1. And this is it that Salomon admoniſheth, ſaying. A wiſe ſonne maketh a glad father, but a fooliſh ſonne is an heauineſſe to his mother. Againe. A fooliſh ſonne is a griefe vntounto his father, and an heauineſſe to her that bare him.Prou. 17.25.
3 This band of louelove of parents ſhould take place, not onelyonly toward ſuch as are gentle and louing, but alſo (as Saint Peter ſaith,1. Pet. 2.18. of the duties of ſeruants to their maſters) euen toward ſuch as bee rigorous. For if wee ought to louelove all the children of Adam: euen thoſe whome wee know not, or our enemies and perſecutors, how much rather our parents, albeit they ſhould intreate vsus roughly & with rigour either in word or deede? And indeede the principal cauſe ſtill abideth, namely that they bee our father and mother. This ought children well to note, to the ende that patiently bearing their reprehenſions, reproofes, and in generall, whatſoeuer their troubleſome and ſharpe affections, they may ſtill continue and declare their childe-like affection and louelove. And to that purpoſe remember, the labour, greefe, anguiſh, weeping, ſorrow and other troubleſome cares that parentes doe abide for their children.
4 This louelove muſt be accompanied with reuerence and reſpect: And to ſay the truth,Mat, 23.2. albeit the name of father belongeth properly vntounto God, as Ieſus Chriſt ſaid, You hauehave but one father, euen him that is in heauen. Yet doth hee ſo impart it to thoſe that hauehave begotten vsus, that they being called fathers, doe beare the title and Image of God. And this is it that bindeth children to reſpect and honor them, and to teſtifie the ſame by their outwarde reuerence. The Lacedemonians did ſo carefully accuſtome their children hereto, that we reade of a good perſonage who had ſuch reſpect to parents,Plu. in his Lacon. Apotheg. that being demaunded wherfore at Sparta the young men did riſe vp when their elders came in place, hee aunſwered. To the ende that by honoring age they may learne and accuſtome themſelues to reuerence their parentes. Of this reuerence we hauehave a notable example in Salomon:1. King. 2.19. He vnderſtanding that his mother Bathſeeba was comming to ſpeake with him, aroſe from his ſeat, came to meet her, bowed before her, and ſet her vponupon his right hand. Neither could his greatneſſe, neither his Royal eſtate priuiledge him from this reſpect and honor due to his mother. To this purpoſe we alſo reade a notable hiſtorie, which may ſerue for an expoſition of this matter. As a certaine gouernour of Creet came with his father to the Philoſopher Taurus, finding there but one ſtoole readie,Aul. Gellius. lib. 2. c. 2. the father woulde hauehave had his ſonne (as a Romaine Magiſtrate) to ſit down, but the Philoſopher willed him as the father to ſit downe and calling for another ſeate for the ſonne, ſaid. When the ſonne doth execute his magiſtracie, or publike office, hee is greater then his father, and muſt beare himſelfe as a Magiſtrate, not as a ſonne: But when he is out of place or execution of his office, he muſt, how highly ſoeuer he be aduaunced, hauehave a reſpect and yeelde reuerence to his father. But many times it falleth out otherwiſe: For many children when they come to honor or wealth, doe ſo deſpiſe their parentes, if they bee of meaner calling then themſelues, that hardly they will acknowledge or call them father as if they were aſhamed of them. Decius the ſonne of the Romaine Emperour Decius,Valer. Max. l. 4 moſt liuely repreſented mans inclination to this vice, and ſought in his owne perſon to preuent it. For when his father on a time ſaide that hee would inueſt his ſonne in the Diademe Imperiall, his ſonne refuſed it, ſaying: I feare leaſt being Emperour, I forget that I am a ſonne. Rather will I continue an obedient ſonne, then being an Emperour to neglect and forget the due honour that the ſonne oweth to his Father. Let my father commaunde, and let my Empire conſiſt in my due obedience to him. For that man putteth off the affection of a childe to his father, who by the eminencie of an office ouer him quencheth the name of a ſonne. Salomon forgat not himſelfe in this kinde of dutie, for hee did not onelyonly bow before his mother Bathſeeba, as is aforeſaide, but alſo called her mother ſaying.1. King 2.20. Mother aske and I will not denie thee. And this doe we the rather note alſo vponupon another conſideration, namely that his example condemneth the cuſtome of theſe daies, wherein this name of father and mother is accompted ſo baſe and comtemptible, that the children of Kinges, Princes, yea euen of meane Gentlemen, ſpeaking to their parentes muſt not ſay father, mother, but Sir, my Lorde, my Ladye, Madam. &c.
5 But the due honor to parents that we here ſpeake of, implyeth not onelyonly this outwarde reuerence, but alſo that wee ſhoulde ſo eſteeme of them as that neither our ſelues ſhould diſpiſe them, neither ſhoulde wee ſuffer others to hauehave them in contempt.Ioh. 8.49. Telecrus. Plut. in his Lacon. Apotheg, And this are we to vnderſtand in the ſaying of Ieſus Chriſt. I honor my father but you diſhonour mee. Hee there defendeth the honor of his father againſt the falſe opinions and ſlaunders of the Iewes. A certaine Lacedemonian in olde time did truely performe this dutie of a childe. For when one tolde him that his father ſpake hardly of him, he aunſwered,Stobeus Scr. 177. that he would not doe it if he had not good cauſe: Thus hee chooſe rather to beare the blame himſelfe, then his father ſhoulde. In this ſence, when an other was readie to accuſe his father in iudgement, did one Pittacus reprooue him, ſaying, if thou preferreſt a bad cauſe, thou ſhalt bee condemned: Likewiſe if the cauſe be right, thou alſo ſhalt bee condemned for procuring thy fathers condemnation. This alſo in this caſe is to bee noted, that amonge the Romaines the childe was not admitted to ſue the will or teſtament of his deade father by action, but by petition onelyonly, wherein hee ſhoulde ſpeake of him with humilitie, honour and reuerence, and referre his caſe wholy to the diſcretion and conſciences of the iudges. Thus ought children to honour and reſpecte theyr parentes.Bodin in his firſt booke of a commonwealth. cap. … But ſome there are ſo vnnaturall and peruerſe, that forgetting all due reuerence and reſpecte to theyr parents they will not onelie deſpiſe them in theyr owne hearts, and ſuffer others to ſpeake hardly of them: but alſo will themſelues ſo farre exceede, as euen to laye them open to the skorne of others.Gen. 3.22. Cham the ſonne of Noah ſeeing his father lye vncouered, called his brethren to ſhewe them his fathers ſhame. But ſo odious was this impietie in the ſight of God, that Noah by the conduct of the holy Ghoſt curſed both him and all his poſteritie. And therefore we well and truely may ſay that thoſe children who in liew of defending the honor of their parents, doe lay them open to ſhame and reproofe, are come of the curſed ſeede of Cham.
6 But what if they proceede farther,Deut. 27.16. Exod. 21.17. Leuit. 20.9. Exod. 21.1… and vſe ſtubborne ſpeeches againſt them, with demonſtration of pride and contempt, which the holy Scripture tearmeth accurſed? This iniquitie is ſo abhominable in the ſight of God, that hee pronounceth Woe vntounto thoſe children that curſe theyr father or mother. Yea hee ordaineth that they ſhould bee put to death, as alſo all ſuch as in action ſhall iniurie their parents by ſmiting either with ſtaffe or fiſt &c. And to cut off all replication, as if death were to hard and rigorous a puniſhment, eſpecially in caſe there were no hurt or wound,Leuit. 20.9 he confirmeth the former iudgement with this addition: Becauſe he hath curſed his father or mother, his bloud ſhall bee vponupon his owne head. And indeede ſuch children as either in word or deede ſhall iniurie father or mother: euen thoſe I ſay of whom they hauehave taken life: who beare the Image of God, and the title of father, proper to God: ſo that God is in them iniuried and condemned, are monſters in nature. In this reſpect among other the cauſes why the children of Iſrael were ſo hardly entreated by Nabuchadnezzer,Ezech. 22.7 & led captiue into Babilon, the Prophet Ezechiel obiecteth vntounto them, that they diſpiſed and contemned their parents. Beſides by experience we ſee that vſually thoſe children that iniurie their parents, are afterward as hardly intreated by their owne children:Eraſ Apotheg lib. 8. And the knowledge of this iuſt vengeance is naturally imprinted in the hart of man: as we reade of a wicked childe, who being accuſed that he had ſmitten his father, anſwered: And he likewiſe did ſmite his father, and this lad (pointing to his owne ſonne) when he groweth bigger, will alſo ſmite and wrong me. And ſurely,Laert. lib. 1. c. 1 as Thales the Mileſian ſaid: As children doe intreate their parents, ſo will their children entreate them. Therefore it might beſeeme children to ſuffer their parents rather to treade them vnderunder their feete, then ſo furiouſly to riſe againſt them. And to that ende let them acknowledge this Image of God, and remember what their parents hauehave done for them, that deteſting ſuch enormities of curſing or ſmiting their parents as is aforeſaid, they contrariwiſe may beare them reuerence, reſpect and honor in heart and minde both in word and deede.
7 This commaundement of honoring our parents comprehendeth alſo ſubiection and obedience, as Saint Paule plainely teacheth, ſaying, Children obey your parents in the Lorde: for this is right. Ephe. 6.1Honor thy father and mother. (Which is the firſt commaundement with promiſe) That it may bee well with thee, and that thou maiſt liue long vponupon the earth. Hereby it appeareth that ſubiection & obedience forced and conſtrained, the Lord doth not accept, but that which proceedeth of honor and reuerence either to father or mother. And therefore it is the dutie of children vnluntarily to ſubmitte themſelues to their parents commaundements, without replying or cōtradiction euen albeit the obedience might import ſome trouble and difficultie. Ionadab the ſonne of Rechab forbad his children that they ſhould build no houſes, plant no vines, nor drinke any wine. They obeyed their father,Iere. 35. and that with ſuch conſtancie that the Prophet Ieremie obiecteth the ſame againſt the Iewes in reproch of their diſobedience againſt God. The obedience of Abraham vntounto God, when he was ready to ſacrifice vntounto him his only ſonne, is highly commended,Gen. 22.9. and as notable was the obedience of his ſon Iſaac, in that he ſuffered himſelf to be bound, and was content to be ſlaine & ſacrifiſed vntounto God. But moſt excellent of al was the obedience of Ieſus Chriſt, Who as S. Paul ſaith being in the forme of God, thought it no robberie to bee equall with God: Phil. 2.6.yet made himſelfe of no reputation, & took on him the forme of a ſeruant, and was made like vntounto man & was found in ſhape as a man: He humbled himſelfe & became obedient vntounto death, euē vntounto the death of the croſſe. And therefore in obedience to parents, children are to lay off all greatnes and excellencie whatſoeuer, and to ſubmit themſelues to any rebuke, yea euen to the ſhamefuleſt death, rather then by contempt or diſobedience, to offend their parents. And leaſt any man ſhould reply that ther is great difference between God the father and fathers according to the fleſh.Luk. 2.51. S. Luke noteth that Ieſus Chriſt was ſubiect to his mother, and to his ſuppoſed father Ioſeph. What greatnes then may there bee in children that ſhould exempt them frō obedience to their parents, ſith Ieſus Chriſt, the prince of glory the king of kings and Lord of Lords, becauſe ſubiect and obedient to a poore man his putatiue father, and to a mother of ſimple and meane calling?
8 This obedience doth S. Paul commend vntounto vsus, ſaying,Col. 3.20. Ephe. 6.1. Children obey your parents in all things: Adding this reaſon, for that is acceptable to the Lord. And in that he ſaith in an other place It is right He taketh from children all reply. For is there any child that will denie that he is not bound to do that which is right, or that which is pleaſing or acceptable vntounto God? Moſes ſaith.Leuit. 19.3 EueryEvery of you ſhall ſtand in awe of his father and mother. And in truth he that loueth his father and his mother, feareth their diſpleaſure. As contrariwiſe, he that reiecteth their precepts, admonitions, or reprehenſions and ſo ſhaketh off the yoke of obedience & ſubiection, that obſtinatly he may ſet himſelf to work wickednes, ſheweth that he deſpiſeth the image of God that they beare, & treadeth vnderunder foot then authoritie ouer him. Such children, or rather monſters in nature, are to looke for no other but Gods horrible iudgement againſt thē.Prou. 30.17. And Salomon ſaith, The eye that meeketh his father & deſpiſeth the inſtruction of his mother, the Rauens of the vally ſhall picke it out and the young Eagles ſhall eate it. Neither would God permit that ſuch impietie ſhoulde eſcape without an expreſſe decree to put to death ſuch children. If any man ſaith Moſes hath a ſonne that is ſtubborne & diſobedient, Deut. 21.18.which will not harken vntounto the voice of his father, & vntounto the voice of his mother, & they hauehave chaſtened him & he would not obey them, then ſhal his father and his mother take him & bring him out vntounto the elders of his Citie, and vntounto the gate of the place where hee dwelleth, and ſhall ſay vntounto the elders of his Citie. This our ſonne is ſtubborne and diſobedient, & he wil not obey our admonitiō: he is a riotor & a drunkerd; Then all the men of his Cittie ſhall ſtone him with ſtones vntounto death: ſo ſhalt thou take away euill from among you, that all Iſraell may here it & feare. Behold, how God by cōmanding that diſobedient children ſhould be rooted out, willeth that all children ſhould feare to diſobey their parents, leaſt they might incur the like puniſhment. For ſurely, the diſobedience of children is an aſſured token that God will roote them out: As wee reade of the ſonnes of Hely the high prieſt,1. Sam, 2.25. who, when their father reproued them for their iniquitie, did not obey his voice: becauſe it is expreſly ſet downe, the Lord purpoſed to deſtroy them. The very heathen hauehave euermore highly cōmended reuerence & obedience vntounto parents. Among the reſt: The Lacedemonians publiſhed a law, wherby it was lawfull for parents to make whom they would,Plut. in Licur. euen ſtraungers, their heires: Therby to induce children to reuerence and obey their parentes.
9 Yet muſt this ſubiection & obedience be holy, and not repugnant to the ſeruice of God: So as obedience to parents be no diſobedience to God.Ephe. 6.1. And this doth S. Paul note, ſaying: Children obey your parents in the Lord, that is to ſay, according to the Lord, or for the Lords ſake, & therfore if parents cōmand any thing contrary to Gods glory, or the ſaluation of the ſoul, the children are in duty to practiſe the inſtruction of the Apoſtles,Act. 4.19. who ſaid. Is it right in the ſight of God that we obey you rather then him? The law is comprehended in two Tables, the ſummarie wherof doth import, that we louelove God and our neighbor. But the louelove of God goeth before, & Ieſus Chriſt calleth it the firſt & greteſt commandement. And therfore ſaith,Mat. 22.38, Mat, 10.37. He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthie of me. Gods cōmandement of obedience to parents, doeth not aboliſh all difference betweene good & euill, neither bindeth children to diſobey God: the parents authoritie cannot priueledge their children to cōmit ſin. The well ordered child will alwaies agree with the law to abſtaine from whatſoeuer is therein prohibited, neither will he obey ſuch cōmandements of his earthly father, as are contrary to his heauenly father. Yet are childrē in duty to louelove, honor & obey their parents whatſoeuer, euen Idolaters and wicked. For as the louelove of nature is not aboliſhed by the wickednes of men, for they ſtill abide men, ſo wicked & Idolatrous parents, remaining parents, doe retaine the right of parents,Proſper ſentences out of Auguſtine and ſuch are to be honored, yea euen to command & bee obeyed, ſo long as they cōmand nothing prohibited by the heauēly father. We muſt, ſaith S. Auguſt. ſo louelove men that wee louelove not their vices. For to louelove that which they are, is one thing, & to hate that which they doe, is another.
10 Yet doth this word Honor cōprehend an other dutie of children to their parents. That is to comfort them in their aduerſities, to relieue their want, and to helpe and ſerue them in whatſoeuer they need at their childrēs hands, neither ſhal they herein perform any more thē the payment of part of their debts, whereto they are bound in cōſideration of the benefits that they firſt receiued from their parents. This is the duty wherto S. Paul expreſly exhorteth them ſaying, If any widow hauehave children, or childrē of her children, let thē learne firſt to ſhew godlines toward their own houſe, Tim. 54.& to recompence their kindred: for that is an honest thing & acceptable before God. Herein did Ioſeph performe the duty of a child to his father & brethrē:Gen. 45.9. To whom when he greeued himſelfe, he ſaide, make hast, and get ye vp to my father and ſay vntounto him, thus ſaieth thy ſonne Ioſeph, God hath made me Lord ouer all Egypt, come therefore vntounto me, and make no tarying, and thou ſhalt inhabite the land of Goſham, & ſhal the neere vntounto me Thou & thy children, & the children of thy children, & I wil relieue thee least thou ſhouldest periſh for hunger, thou & thy houſhold, and all that is thine, Being aduanced to ſuch honor, he forgot not, neither diſpiſed his poore father: beſides that albeit his brethren had ſo wickedly entreated him: yet he forgot that iniury, and vndertoke to feed them. Hereto had relation Chriſts commending of his mother, whē he ſaid behold thy mother, & hee accordingly performed the duty of a child to her, and toke her home vntounto him.Iohn 19, 27. We alſo read that when a certaine father was condemned to be famiſhed in priſon, his daughter came daylie to viſit him, and becauſe ſhe was narowly ſerched leaſt ſhee ſhould bring him any food, hauing no other meanes to help him, ſhe ſuckled him with her breſts:Valerius Max. wheervpon becauſe her father liued longer then was expected: ſhe was watched, and being knowen how ſhee had relieued him, they gaue him to his daughters piety, and deliuered him out of priſon.
11 This duetie did the Grecians name, by a name deriued from the Storckes, who feede and nouriſh their dammes, when they are impotent through age, & ſo are vntounto vsus as miſteriſſes, to teach vsus to acknowledge the good that wee hauehave receiued from them that brought vsus into this world and bred vsus vp. Such therefore as being able, doe refuſe to ſupply and relieue the neceſsities of their parents, & ſo ſhew themſelues deuoide of naturall affection, muſt bee ſent to ſchoole among the Storckes, that of them they may learne to yeelde due reuerence to their parentes. And of theſe is the number at this day too great: yea and ſuch that it is growne to a common ſpeech, that one father or mother can bee content to relieue a dozen children, but a doſen children will not feede one father or mother: But if of neceſsitie they be put to doe it, it is with great difficulty & ſuch ſtrife, as may iuſtly miniſter occaſiō of grief and ſorrow vntounto both father and mother. A certaine Cinical Philoſopher writing to his wife about his new borne ſonne, promiſeth ſo to teach him,Crates. that he will returne him vntounto her, not a dogge alter the name of their ſect, but a Storcke that ſhould relieue her in her age. But the children of our daies are more hard to receiue this inſtructiō, the rather cōſidering the inhumanity that appeareth in many, notwithſtanding they be taught their duties in the ſchoole, not of a Cynicall philoſopher, but of God himſelfe in his Church.
12 But as in many children couetouſnes choaketh all feeling of this duty toward parents: So Satan transforming himſelfe into an Angel of light, euen long ſince induced the Iewes to defeate their parents of this reliefe & aſsiſtance vnderunder the colour of the ſeruice & honor of God.Mark. 7.9. In this reſpect doth Ieſus Chriſt obiect vntounto thē that they taught that eueryevery gift by the children offered vntounto God ſhould profit the parents: but he bitterly reproueth thē for it, proteſting that it is the tradition of men that reuearſeth the commandement of God. And herein he declareth firſt that this commandement, Honor thy father and mother, comprehendeth alſo the dutie to relieue & helpe them in their neceſsities: Secondly that refuſing to relieue the want of their parents, euē vnderunder colour of offering vntounto God that which they ought to giuegive vntounto them, they do quite aboliſh this cōmandement: Thirdly, by conferring Gods ordinance to put to death all thoſe that ſhall curſe either father or mother, with this cōmandement to honor them in relieuing their neceſsities, he ſheweth that deſpiſing of parents in their neceſsity and not relieuing them, is as a curſing of them, and conſequently a tranſgreſsion that deſerueth death.
13 To cōclude: to the end to inuite childrē to honor their parents, as is afore ſhewed, God addeth this promiſe:Ephe. 6, 2. That thy dais may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee. And Saint Paul doth note, that it is the firſt commaundement with promiſe. For albeit there be a promiſe added to the ſecond, yet is the ſame common vntounto the whole law: But this is peculiar and eſpeciall to all ſuch childrē as honor their parents, for herein hath God declared how highly hee commendeth the obedience and honour that children yeelde to them. And the ſame hauehave the Heathen alſo noted, as among others Menander, an auncient Poet, who ſaith. Of honor vntounto parents due, the hope of happy life enſue. But the Lord ſpake to the Iſraelities properly of the land that hee had promiſed them for an inheritance, which ſhould be vntounto them as a teſtimonie and ſeale of his goodneſſe and louelove toward them. It is therefore as if he ſhould hauehave ſaid. To the end, that liuing vponupon the earth, thou maieſt long enioye the earneſt penye of my goodneſse and grace toward thee. But now ſeeing the whole earth is bleſſed to the faithfull, the promiſe of long life vponupon the earth, is vntounto vsus alſo a bleſſing of God. Firſt, becauſe we can not liue long without participating in many and great benefits of God, euen in reſpect of the preſeruation of this preſent life: Secondly, becauſe the faithfull may the longer employ themſelues to ſerue and glorifie God: In conſideration whereof we ſee what the Church in olde time ſaide,Pſal. 115.17. The dead praiſe not the Lord, neither any that goe downe into the place of ſilence. But we will praiſe the Lord from hence foorth and for euer. The ſame doth Ezechia, king of Iuda alſo note in his cantikle,Eſay. 38.19. The lyuing, the liuing, he ſhall confeſſe thee, as I doe this day. The father to the children ſhall declare thy truth.
14 In as much therefore as long life is promiſed as a bleſsing, God doth continue it to obedient children ſo long as it is a bleſſing vntounto them. And hereupon doth Saint Paule ioyne together theſe two ſentences, That it may goe well with thee, Ephe. 6.3.and that thou maieſt liue long vponupon the earth. As alſo when God taketh away ſuch obedient children before they be olde, yea before they come vntounto mans ſtate, whether it bee, leaſt malice ſhoulde corrupt their harts, or to preuent ſome great calamities wherin they might paraduenture be entangled, or vponupon whatſoeuer other conſiderations to receiue them into a better life, he doth faithfully performe his promiſe vntounto ſuch children, becauſe hee dealeth better then promiſe with them. But as contrariwiſe this promiſe threatneth ſuch children as will not honor their parents, with ſhort life: So doe experience declare, that many ſuch children are of ſhort and wretched life. But if contrariwiſe ſuch diſobedient children do chance to liue long, ſo farre is ſuch long life from being vntounto them a bleſſing, that to the contrary it is an enforcement and encreaſe of woe; becauſe they enlarge their iuſt condemnation, ſo as they had beene better to hauehave dyed in their youth. But how euer it be, God ſo diſpoſeth hereof, that by the effects we may perceiue that they which honor their parents are bleſſed, and the others accurſed.
15 Finally that according to the exhortation of Ieſus Chriſt, we may Amend our liues, beſides all that is before ſpoken, let vsus adde the counſels,Eccleſiatheus. 3.2. admonitions and exhortations of Eccleſiaſticus, deliuered vntounto children, concerning their due obedience to their parents. Here your fathers iudgement, children ſaith he, and do therafter, that ye may be ſafe: For the Lord wil hauehave the father honored of the children, and hath confirmed the authoritie of the mother ouer the children: Who ſo honoreth his father, his ſinnes ſhall be forgiuen him, and he ſhall abſtaine from them, and he ſhall hauehave his dayly deſire: And he that honoreth his mother is like one that gathereth treaſure. Who ſo honoreth his father ſhall hauehave ioy of his owne children, and when he maketh his praier, he ſhall be heard: He that honoreth his father ſhall hauehave a long life, and he that is obedient to the Lord, ſhall comfort his mother. He that feareth the Lord, honoreth his parents, and doth ſeruice vntounto his parents as vntounto Lords. Honor thy father and mother in deed and word, that thou maieſt hauehave Gods bleſsing, and that it may abide with thee vntounto the end. For the bleſsing of the father eſtabliſheth the houſes of the children, and the mothers curſe rooteth out the foundations. Reioyce not at the diſhonor of thy father, for it is not honor vntounto thee, but ſhame: Seeing that mans glorie commeth by his fathers honor, and the reproch of the mother is diſhonor to the children. My ſonne, helpe thy father in his age, and grieue him not as long as hee lyueth. And if his vnderſtanding faile, hauehave pacience with him, and deſpiſe him not when thou art in thy full strength. For the good entreatie of thy father ſhall not be forgotten, but it ſhall bee a fortreſſe to thee against ſinnes. In the day of trouble thou ſhalt bee remembred, and thy ſinnes ſhall melt away as the Ice in faire wether. Hee that forſaketh his father ſhall come to ſhame, and he that angreth his mother is curſed of God. Theſe admonitions and exhortations are as a ſummary of the duties of children to their parents. And therfore it reſteth that they vnderſtanding them, do pray vntounto God to giuegive them grace to put them in practiſe to his glory, and their good & ſaluation. Laſtly, let them remember the ſaying of Plato, that God is not more enclined to heare any praiers, then ſuch as parents doe poure forth for their children. As they are therefore to feare their curſe for offending them, ſo muſt they by honoring and pleaſing them ſeeke to be bleſſed in their praiers,Gen. 27, &. 28 which are beſsings ratefied vntounto them in heauen, as the bleſsings of Iſaac to his ſonne Iacob doe manifeſtly declare.